


Deserves To Be Spoken

by TheSparrow93



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Humor, M/M, Reminiscing, Sad, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-19
Updated: 2014-03-19
Packaged: 2018-01-16 07:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1336897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSparrow93/pseuds/TheSparrow93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Glenn's twenty-four years of life he could honestly say he had never held a baby before. Even with absolutely no experience he figured he was doing a pretty good job so far with Judith, granted he was being taught everything he needed to know about babies from a master.</p>
<p>Set after Simple Words Hurt and Ain't Gonna Nowhere. You should read those first, trust me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deserves To Be Spoken

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know I have about 100 things going on right now but I got some LOVELY comments on my stories this week and they inspired me to write this. I'm not sure how good it is but I like it and know what? That's good enough for me. Please do enjoy though. 
> 
> I think this is it for this little series.

Glenn never had any nieces or nephews growing up. His sisters never got married or had any kids. Both his parents were only children so there were no baby cousins to coo over. They had to move a lot because of his dad’s job so there weren’t any neighborhood little ones for him to hold. In his twenty-four years of life he could honestly say he had never held a baby before. Even with absolutely no experience he figured he was doing a pretty good job so far with Judith, granted he was being taught everything he needed to know about babies from a master.

Daryl adjusted the angle of Glenn’s arms that Judith was snuggled in. Glenn smiled as she gurgled happily as her little fists gripped his shirt and tugged at it as if trying to figure out what cotton blend was. Glenn liked moments like this. Daryl and him spending time with Judith, it was peaceful. Carol had finally stopped hovering at Glenn’s cell door whenever it was his turn to watch the baby; Daryl was definitely a major factor.

“Yer gettin good with her.” Daryl commented as Glenn freed one of his hands so he could tap her on the nose making her giggle.

“You think so?” Glenn asked surprised at how easy it was to hold her one armed now, he used to freak out with her in both his arms and Daryl’s hands keeping extra support on her back. Daryl gave him a small nod that had a trace of a smile to it, “Well, I have had three months to practice now, not surprising that I’m finally getting the hang of it.”

“Babies are easy,” A voice said from the threshold of the cell, Glenn looked up to see Merle leaning on the frame his arms crossed over his chest, “Try wranglin’ a youngin’ hopped up on fudge pops and Captain Crunch, then we’ll talk.”

“I think there’s a very interesting story there,” Glenn said with a chuckle.

“That was one time,” Daryl groaned.

“I still got the bite scars baby brother; ya never had to enforce nap time after ya hopped ‘im up on sugar.” Merle said holding up his remaining hand were Glenn saw sure enough, a few marks that definitely came from little teeth.

“I was workin,” Daryl said clearing swallowing a laugh.

Glenn had to admit, the way Merle came back into the group hadn’t been pretty. Glenn thought he would never get over the way Merle beat him then released that walker. It had been hard to see how happy Daryl was to have his brother back, even though both the Dixon’s nearly left them for good. Merle had groveled for weeks to Glenn, something that surprised him to no end.

It finally sunk in that Merle was a crazy bastard and being a crazy bastard he did crazy bastard shit. Like beat people for information about people they love, which Merle did love Daryl that much was very clear. Glenn wished now he had just been honest with Merle about Daryl that was all the man wanted after all. So when Glenn gave him a dead end Merle reacted like a crazy bastard would.

So Glenn ended up letting the past be the past and honestly now that he was really getting to know Merle he wasn’t that bad of a guy. He was rough around the edges but he had a soft spot, granted it was just for Daryl and now him by extension. That was another shock for Glenn, how accepting Merle was of him and Daryl but Merle cleared that up pretty quickly and it only took one sentence.

Glenn remembered not being able to stop smiling when he asked Merle way he wasn’t freaking out over Daryl and his relationship and Merle just calmly answered, ‘Ya think I spent months lookin fer that boy jus ta turn tail when I found out he’s fuckin the chink?’ Glenn didn’t even correct him on his ethnicity.

Merle’s hand reached out and tilted Glenn’s arm a bit up so Judith was more sitting on his arm than just lying on it, “Will help her build up her strength.”

Glenn nodded as Judith tried to pull herself up using his shirt and swiveled her head around happily looking at everything. She squealed up at Merle and he couldn’t help grinning down at her and petting her soft dark hair. Daryl reached over and tickled her chin making her squirm making a scrunched face that had them all laughing.

It should be odd that of all the people in the prison Daryl and Merle seemed to be the best with her. Rick was still a bit distant at time, he was better but he still had his moments. He couldn’t handle looking at her sometimes seeing the two people he had loved so dearly in her face and knowing they both were gone. Carl did his best with her, as did Beth but they were both just kids. Maggie got flustered with her easily. Herschel was good with her but she looked to be walked around he couldn’t do that when she wanted him too. Carol was too protective; like everything was going to break her while Daryl let her be more independent.

Carol had freaked out when Judith first tried to roll over and nearly hit her head on the bars of the bunk she was squirming all over. Daryl had just laughed rolling her back to her back to let her try again and when she did bump her head she sniffled then wiggled a bit before trying again now knowing the bars hurt and to avoid them. Merle and Daryl were careful with her but didn’t coddle her, which Glenn thought she needed in this world.

Judith gripped Glenn’s shirt even tighter and hefted herself up sitting in Glenn’s arms trying to keep her head up before flopping back down on his arm with a displeased grunt. She tried to sit up again holding herself up a few seconds longer before falling back. This continued for several minutes until she figured out if she sat up then leaned into his chest she didn’t need to hold herself up. So smart, Glenn cooed down at her kissing her hair.

“She’s so much like him.” Merle breathed softly and Glenn didn’t know if he was supposed to hear it but Daryl nodded his face shifting to a tiny sad smile.

“She aint screeching her head off though.” Daryl chuckled softly.

“Jesus shit, that was the worst.” Merle groaned.

“Screeching?” Glenn quirked an eyebrow at them.

“Yeah,” Merle grumbled, “Never seen colic so bad in muh life.”

“Cried and screamed for months, I thought we was gonna die from exhaustion.” Daryl explained.

“She had colic for a few weeks,” Glenn grimaced at the memory of Judith crying and wailing at almost all hours, “I can’t imagine months though.”

“It was awful.” Merle shuddered.

“But one day he jus stopped, weirdest thing.” Daryl reached his hand out to Judith; she grabbed it and gnawed on his knuckles giggling, “Babies are weird.”

Glenn nodded looking down at Judith then said softly, “Tell me more, please.”

Merle and Daryl looked at each other for a while both swallowing a few times like even thinking about the boy was too much. Glenn thought he had asked too much then they just started talking.

Glenn laughed as Merle tried to recreate what the little guy had looked like trying to walk for the first time. Flailing and stumbling on too fat legs. Daryl had a wide grin on his face as he described those first successful steps. The pride in his eyes clear and bright and Glenn loved Daryl even more.

Merle sat on Glenn’s other side taking Judith when she reached for him and cried for him to hold her. Merle settled her in the crook of his right arm not caring when she reached and poked at his stump curiously, Merle never wore his prosthetic around her. Merle smiled saying how babies all have this universal amazing smell. People complain that baby’s stink of poop or puke but they usually don’t. His eyes got distant as he explained that his nephew smelled like a light dusting of baby powder and something raw baby Dixon; it was like it had been the best smell he had ever encountered.

Glenn could almost see the baby blue eyes they told him about, he had seen the blue eyes from the picture in Daryl’s wallet but they told him new eyes are different. The almost stormy blue that shifted to Daryl and Merle’s paler one. Judith had dark eyes, Shane’s eyes, even when she was born just like she was getting his curls.

“He was so fat as a baby, just like muh bro here.” Merle laughed making Daryl glower.

“Daryl’s not fat.” Glenn had to smother a laugh as Daryl glared at him too but it was lacking heat.

“He was as a baby. Fattest damn thing I ever saw.” Merle’s grin shifted to a smile as he leaned forward, careful of Judith dozing in his arm to look over at Daryl, “Cutest damn thing too, until Normy was born.”

Glenn’s breath stuttered in his throat, Normy? Was that Daryl’s son’s name? Daryl had never told him, Glenn didn’t ask, he figured Daryl would tell him in time but that tattoo on Daryl’s chest made more sense now. Merle looked at Glenn with a confused eyebrow raised having caught Glenn’s quiet gasp.

“Was that…his name?” Glenn turned to look at Daryl who swallowed; apparently just hearing it pained him.

Daryl picked at the hem of his shirt for a few minutes; Glenn glanced back at Merle who was looking pointedly down at Judith rocking her gently having realized his slip up. Glenn sat in the awkward silence listening to Judy breathe and snuffle as she slept.

“Norman,” Daryl suddenly spoke, Glenn looked back over to him reaching over to rest a hand on his leg, “His name was Norman, called him Normy mosta the time.”

Daryl’s shoulders seemed to relax as he spoke, like saying his son’s name out loud lifted a weight off him. The pain of his grief was still heavy on him but it was a little better too. It was like he could breathe easier now that he wasn’t holding something so precious inside him. The name deserves to be spoken, not locked up in his heart.  
“Norman Dixon,” Glenn whispered bringing his hand up to lay on Daryl’s chest over the ink he knew was under his shirt for a moment, “I like that.”

“We did too.” Merle said softly his eyes distant again; Daryl nodded slowly a sad smile on his lips.

Glenn looked between the two men and could almost picture them both with Norman, not on the bunk in the prison but on a beat up old couch watching Pokemon or a super hero movie. It hit Glenn then that Merle’s hair was the same blond as his nephews. Norman had both his father and uncles crooked grins he betted. Glenn just knew the little boy had Merle’s open laugh over Daryl’s reluctant one.

He would have squealed to be held by the men just like Judith. Lifted high and held tight by those strong, steady arms. Napping on broad chests with the TV mumbling in the background and perched on wide shoulders once he was big enough. Glenn didn’t think any child had ever been loved, or would ever be loved (save for maybe Judith), more than that boy by the two men at his sides.

Glenn was a little startled to realize he loved the two next to him. It was different loves of course. He was in love with Daryl, but with Merle there was something. These soft edges of the rugged man were worth loving and Glenn could do that, much like he loved Rick and Carol. Merle had put all his love into his family and it had broken him badly to lose his nephew, Glenn could clearly see that. So Glenn could love both Dixon’s, easily. Just like he loved that little boy he never met just because of the happiness he had brought to both of them.

Merle’s face suddenly scrunched up in thought and looked over at Daryl, “Think she’ll get the habit of hitting people in the crotch like he did?”

Glenn tried not to by he couldn’t help laughing, Daryl chuckled next to him.

“It wasn’t people he did that too,” Daryl tried not to grin but failed, “It was just you.”

Glenn laughed harder as Merle flipped Daryl off. The heavy emotions that had settled over them seemed to have passed for the moment. Judith whined at her loud awakening and Daryl took her from Merle holding her to his chest swaying slowly and humming until she drifted back off.

“Daryl ever tell ya bout that time Norm puked on muh public defender?” Merle asked smirking. Daryl snorted loudly and Glenn was all ears.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to dedicate this fic to lizzicleromance. This is for you. Thank you for your kind words. They truly lifted my heart and spirits. I'm sorry I didn't respond to all your comments so I hope this is a big enough thank you. 
> 
> Remember to kudos and comment guys. Hope you all enjoyed.


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